That Robin Andrews is a busy writer: April 16, 2025 Robin George Andrews www.newscientist.com/article/2476805-the-race-to-visit-the-asteroid-making-the-closest-pass-by-earth/ Asteroid (99942) Apophis was, a generation ago, calculated to have a slight chance of hitting Earth, in 2029. At under a kilometer in size, it would… Read More »Apophis Mission Grist
An ‘inhuman’-interest piece in MIT Technology Review: April 14, 2025 Robin George Andrews Meet the researchers testing the “Armageddon” approach to asteroid defense www.technologyreview.com/2025/04/14/1114306/space-nuclear-explosion-asteroid-protection-research/ Don’t accuse me of fearmongering just because I include planetary defense coverage in the wider small-body… Read More »Hammer of the ‘Don
In light of the Lucy mission’s asteroid flyby tomorrow (1:51 PM EDT), it’s time for another batch of papers from Planetary Science Journal. In volume 6: Runyon, K. D. Durda, D. D. Klein, V. et al. Methods for Experimental Planetary… Read More »Note, Paper: Pre-Flyby Write
The April Meteoritics & Planetary Science (vol. 60, #4) is finally here: Larsen, K. Krot, A. N. Wielandt, D. et al. Type B–type C CAI in a CR chondrite: Evidence for multiple melting events, gas–melt interaction, and oxygen-isotope exchange Page… Read More »Note, Paper: Hot Rock Copy
The (formerly threatening) asteroid Apophis will make its (safe) pass by the Earth on April 13, 2029. (No coincidence, the UN has also declared 2029 to be the Year of Planetary Defense.) That means four years to prepare scientific observations,… Read More »Apophis T-4 Years Meeting
Not one but two articles in the BBC today: 4 April 2025 Nelson, S. Asteroid 2024 YR4: Where do near-Earth asteroids come from – and what can we learn form them? (sic) www.bbc.com/future/article/20250312-the-astronomers-watching-the-skies-for-asteroids Molloy, M. Chance of asteroid hitting Moon… Read More »BBC: (small-)Body Bi-Coverage
Yes, I know I just posted on new entries from RNAA (Research Notes of the AAS). The newest Notes include a report of the James Webb Space Telescope getting time to spot asteroid 2024 YR4, which was initially tracked to… Read More »Note Note: JWST Studies 2024 YR4
Interesting, to say the least, issue of RNAA (Research Notes Of The AAS) for March vol. 9 #3 (all of these papers are OPEN): Dvorak, R. Cuntz, M. On the Stability of Retrograde Orbits Between Jupiter and Saturn 46 … Read More »Note, Paper: Identified Flying Objects
A little light listening for your weekend: the new episode of Startalk ‘radio’ (actually a podcast) will feature Rick Binzel as their guest. Startalk Radio is the podcast of Neil DeGrasse Tyson, director of the Hayden Planetarium, and a comedian… Read More »Star(-like) Talk with guest Rick Binzel
…and now Thursday, March 13, 2025 (see also Mon, Tue, Wed) https://www.hou.usra.edu/meetings/lpsc2025/technical_program/ Special Session: Interesting Ices of the Solar SystemRole of Natron in Delaying Retreat of Buried Ice Tables on Ceres and Ceres-Like Objects [#2251] Landis M. E. et al.A… Read More »56th LPSC (2025): Thu, Day 4